Latest news with #destabilization
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Turkey says it will intervene against any attempt to divide Syria
Turkey will directly intervene to stop any attempt to fragment Syria and will prevent any attempts by militants to obtain autonomy after clashes in southern Syria, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Tuesday. His warning against fragmentation, in comments to reporters in Ankara, appeared aimed at Israel as Turkey considers this to be Israel's ultimate aim in Syria. Turkey has condemned Israeli strikes on Damascus last week as an attempt to sabotage Syria's efforts to establish peace and security, and sees clashes between Druze fighters and Syrian Bedouin tribes in the southern province of Sweida as part of an Israeli policy of regional destabilization. NATO member Turkey supports Syria's new government and has called for a ceasefire between the Bedouin and Druze fighters. Fidan said Israel wanted a divided Syria to make the country unstable, weaker and a liability to the region, and added that Kurdish YPG militants were looking to take advantage of the chaos. 'God willing, we will prevent this policy from being realized,' he said. In an apparent reference to the YPG, he said groups in Syria should not see such chaos as a tactical opportunity to achieve autonomy or independence within Syria and that they faced 'a big strategic catastrophe'. 'This leads nowhere,' he said. Ankara sees the YPG, which spearheads the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, as a terrorist organization, and has carried out several cross-border operations against them. 'We are warning you: no group should engage in acts towards division,' Fidan said. He said many issues could be discussed via diplomacy 'but if you go beyond this and seek fragmentation and destabilizing we will consider this a direct threat to our security and intervene.' Fidan said Turkey would support efforts to secure peace and stability in Syria, and talks on this, but would not let itself be exposed to threats. Israel did not immediately comment on Fidan's remarks. It said it struck targets in Syria last week to defend the Druze.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Syria's unity should be off Israel's gambling table
In the aftermath of Israel's recent strikes on Damascus and destabilizing actions in Sweida, former British spy chief Sir John Sawers offered a sobering assessment: 'What Israel is looking for, I think, is a fragmented Syria — one which is weak and divided. That's a miscalculation … I don't think Israeli actions were at all helpful.' His words, delivered to CNN, cut through the fog of war and exposed a dangerous regional gamble. Sawers is right. The notion that Syria's internal tensions — particularly those involving various sects and tribal factions — are marginal or containable is a delusion. The breakup of Syria would be far more catastrophic than the disintegration of Yugoslavia. But the solution surely is for regional and international players to promote and enable national unity and cohesion; not bomb or attack the newly formed government as it tries to contain a situation. Syria is not just a country; it is a geopolitical keystone. Its collapse would send tremors through Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and even the Gulf. The region cannot afford another failed state, especially one that borders Israel, Turkiye and Iraq. This is precisely why moderate and reasonable actors in the region — led by Saudi Arabia — have stepped in swiftly and decisively. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's phone call to Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa was more than a diplomatic gesture; it was a signal of strategic alignment. Riyadh followed up by sending a delegation of high-ranking Saudi businessmen to Damascus, underscoring its commitment to Syria's reconstruction and reintegration into the Arab fold. The Saudi steps are aligned with its longstanding tradition of supporting the reigning government regardless of its religious leadership, be it Sunni-led in Syria, a Maronite one in Lebanon or even a Shiite one in Iran when Israel illegally violated its territorial sovereignty. Turkiye and the US also moved quickly — and rightly — to support the new Syrian government, recognizing that stability in Damascus is a prerequisite for regional peace. Washington, in particular, played a key role in brokering a ceasefire between militias and tribal factions in Sweida, helping to contain what could have spiraled into a full-blown civil war. The best antidote to Israel's destabilizing provocations is not retaliation — it is to go on with the reforms. Syria's new leadership understands this. Since taking office in December, President Al-Sharaa has made all the right moves: dissolving extremist factions, launching a national dialogue conference, and initiating constitutional reforms. But no one said rebuilding a country after 50 years of brutal dictatorship would be easy. Gambling with Syria's unity is not blackjack. It is Russian roulette. And the bullet does not just threaten Syria — it threatens the entire region. Faisal J. Abbas | Editor-in-Chief Spoilers — those who thrived under the old regime — are beginning to push back. Mistakes by enforcers of the government will naturally be made, and they will be costly. But legitimacy is not built on perfection; it is built on accountability. The Syrian government must continue to acknowledge its missteps, especially in Sweida, where the conflict was not sectarian but a localized rift that required careful containment. Israel's claim that its strikes on Damascus and Sweida were to 'protect the Druze' is taken with a pinch of salt by most observers. If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government were truly concerned about minority rights, it might have reconsidered its actions in Gaza, where over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. The same government that called Palestinians 'human animals' and floated the idea of nuking Gaza now wants us to believe it is acting out of humanitarian concern. Let us be clear: Israel sees opportunity, not altruism. The infancy of Syria's new government presents a strategic vacuum. Tel Aviv is playing a zero-sum game — grab land, accumulate leverage, and walk into future negotiations with a stacked deck. Of course, given Israel's recent military successes — from Gaza to Iran — one might understand Netanyahu's audacity. But gambling with Syria's unity is not blackjack. It is Russian roulette. And the bullet does not just threaten Syria — it threatens the entire region. The international community, especially the US, must curb Israel's appetite for chaos. Washington has leverage, and it must use it — not just to protect Syria, but to preserve the fragile architecture of Middle Eastern stability. Syria's new government is not perfect, but it is legitimate. It is trying to do what few regimes in the region have dared: reform from within. That effort must be protected — not just by Syrians, but by their neighbors and allies. Because if Syria falls, the region does not just lose a country — it loses its compass. And in a region already navigating storms, losing your compass is not a risk worth taking.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
UK sanctions Russian spies trying to ‘destabilise Europe'
The UK has sanctioned a string of Russian spies and hackers, accusing them of carrying out a campaign to 'destabilise Europe'. Those sanctioned include a unit that targeted the daughter of Sergei Skripal years before Russian agents attempted to murder him in Salisbury with the nerve agent Novichok. Others are accused of belonging to units that have carried out cyber attacks in the UK, France, Germany and the US – while also facilitating strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: ' GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens. 'The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it. That's why we're taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.' In total, 18 officers of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit, have been sanctioned, along with three men linked to Moscow's efforts to spread disinformation in West Africa. They include five men said to have been involved in a cyber attack on Yulia Skripal in 2013, in which the GRU's Unit 26165 targeted her emails with malware known as X-Agent. Development of X-Agent is said to have been overseen by Lieutenant-Colonel Sergey Morgachev, and involved Aleksey Lukashev, Ivan Yermakov, Sergey Vasyuk and Artem Malyshev, who have all been sanctioned. Lukashev and Yermakov are said to have carried out the attack on Ms Skirpal's emails, five years before members of a separate GRU unit poisoned her and her father with Novichok. The Foreign Office accused Unit 26165, which is already sanctioned, of attempting to disrupt investigations into the attempted murder of the Skripals along with another already-sanctioned GRU outfit, Unit 74455. On Friday, the UK added GRU Unit 29155 to the sanctions list, accusing it of carrying out the poisoning and saying the incident 'underscores how GRU Units integrate cyber operations into hybrid activity with the aim of furthering the Kremlin's objectives'. Also sanctioned are Aleksey Morenets and Yevgeney Serebriakov, accused of carrying out 'close access operations' against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, Netherlands. As well as carrying out cyber attacks in Western Europe, Unit 26165 is said to have conducted operations in Ukraine, including carrying out reconnaissance that facilitated the 2022 attack on the Mariupol Theatre that killed hundreds of civilians, including children. Several of the men sanctioned on Friday are already wanted by the FBI in the United States. They include Colonel Aleksandr Osadchuk, said to be the commanding officer of Unit 74455. He and others have been charged with a series of offences in connection with Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 US election. Other men sanctioned by the UK on Friday, including Morenets and Serebriakov, are accused of targeting anti-doping organisations and other sporting bodies around the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. Meanwhile, the UK joined the EU in lowering the price cap on Russian oil as Ukraine's allies sought to increase pressure on Moscow to engage in peace talks. The cap, which is currently 60 US dollars per barrel, will fall to 47.60 dollars from September 2 in a move Chancellor Rachel Reeves said was aimed at 'exploiting' President Vladimir Putin's 'biggest vulnerability'. Energy revenues account for around 30% of the Russian state's income, making them a key source of funding for the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. Ms Reeves, who is attending a meeting of G20 finance ministers in South Africa, said: 'The UK and its EU allies are turning the screw on the Kremlin's war chest by stemming the most valuable funding stream of its illegal war in Ukraine even further.' Mr Lammy added the UK would not 'stand by' while Mr Putin 'continues to stall on serious peace talks'.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK sanctions Russian spies trying to ‘destabilise Europe'
The UK has sanctioned a string of Russian spies and hackers, accusing them of carrying out a campaign to 'destabilise Europe'. Those sanctioned include a unit that targeted the daughter of Sergei Skripal years before Russian agents attempted to murder him in Salisbury with the nerve agent Novichok. Others are accused of belonging to units that have carried out cyber attacks in the UK, France, Germany and the US – while also facilitating strikes on civilian targets in Ukraine. The UK and our allies are striking at the heart of Russia's energy sector by lowering the Oil Price Cap. This will directly hit Putin's most critical revenue stream and drain his war chest. We will keep up economic pressure as we stand by — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 18, 2025 Foreign Secretary David Lammy said: 'GRU spies are running a campaign to destabilise Europe, undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and threaten the safety of British citizens. 'The Kremlin should be in no doubt: we see what they are trying to do in the shadows and we won't tolerate it. That's why we're taking decisive action with sanctions against Russian spies.' In total, 18 officers of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit, have been sanctioned, along with three men linked to Moscow's efforts to spread disinformation in West Africa. They include five men said to have been involved in a cyber attack on Yulia Skripal in 2013, in which the GRU's Unit 26165 targeted her emails with malware known as X-Agent. Development of X-Agent is said to have been overseen by Lieutenant-Colonel Sergey Morgachev, and involved Aleksey Lukashev, Ivan Yermakov, Sergey Vasyuk and Artem Malyshev, who have all been sanctioned. Lukashev and Yermakov are said to have carried out the attack on Ms Skirpal's emails, five years before members of a separate GRU unit poisoned her and her father with Novichok. The Foreign Office accused Unit 26165, which is already sanctioned, of attempting to disrupt investigations into the attempted murder of the Skripals along with another already-sanctioned GRU outfit, Unit 74455. On Friday, the UK added GRU Unit 29155 to the sanctions list, accusing it of carrying out the poisoning and saying the incident 'underscores how GRU Units integrate cyber operations into hybrid activity with the aim of furthering the Kremlin's objectives'. Also sanctioned are Aleksey Morenets and Yevgeney Serebriakov, accused of carrying out 'close access operations' against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague, Netherlands. As well as carrying out cyber attacks in Western Europe, Unit 26165 is said to have conducted operations in Ukraine, including carrying out reconnaissance that facilitated the 2022 attack on the Mariupol Theatre that killed hundreds of civilians, including children. Several of the men sanctioned on Friday are already wanted by the FBI in the United States. They include Colonel Aleksandr Osadchuk, said to be the commanding officer of Unit 74455. He and others have been charged with a series of offences in connection with Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 US election. Other men sanctioned by the UK on Friday, including Morenets and Serebriakov, are accused of targeting anti-doping organisations and other sporting bodies around the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. Meanwhile, the UK joined the EU in lowering the price cap on Russian oil as Ukraine's allies sought to increase pressure on Moscow to engage in peace talks. The cap, which is currently 60 US dollars per barrel, will fall to 47.60 dollars from September 2 in a move Chancellor Rachel Reeves said was aimed at 'exploiting' President Vladimir Putin's 'biggest vulnerability'. Energy revenues account for around 30% of the Russian state's income, making them a key source of funding for the Kremlin's war in Ukraine. Ms Reeves, who is attending a meeting of G20 finance ministers in South Africa, said: 'The UK and its EU allies are turning the screw on the Kremlin's war chest by stemming the most valuable funding stream of its illegal war in Ukraine even further.' Mr Lammy added the UK would not 'stand by' while Mr Putin 'continues to stall on serious peace talks'.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Bolsonaro, accused of urging U.S. hostility, ordered to wear ankle bracelet
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazilian authorities Friday morning accused former president Jair Bolsonaro of conspiring with his son to incite U.S. hostility against Brazil and destabilize his own country, ordering Brazil's most popular conservative politician to wear an ankle bracelet and barring him from contacts with foreign governments. The order, signed by Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, also placed Bolsonaro under house arrest outside of business hours and prohibited him from communicating with others under Supreme Court investigation — including his son, Eduardo.
